Iraq Wraps Up Early Voting as Country Braces for Pivotal Parliamentary Elections By The Media Line Staff Iraq completed early voting on Sunday, closing a day that saw security personnel and displaced citizens cast ballots ahead of the nationwide parliamentary election. The Independent High Electoral Commission reported a turnout of 82.42%, saying just over 1.1 million […]
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The Media Line: Iraq Wraps Up Early Voting as Country Braces for Pivotal Parliamentary Elections
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Iraq Wraps Up Early Voting as Country Braces for Pivotal Parliamentary Elections
By The Media Line Staff
Iraq completed early voting on Sunday, closing a day that saw security personnel and displaced citizens cast ballots ahead of the nationwide parliamentary election. The Independent High Electoral Commission reported a turnout of 82.42%, saying just over 1.1 million people voted out of the roughly 1.34 million eligible in this phase.
Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. and shut their doors at 6 p.m., marking the final major step before Iraq’s 21 million registered voters head to the polls on Tuesday. The commission has prepared 8,703 centers for election day, with 7,744 candidates competing for 329 seats in the Council of Representatives.
The political atmosphere in Baghdad has grown increasingly charged as the vote approaches. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, in a national address before campaigning paused, urged citizens to participate, calling the vote decisive for the country’s long-term direction. He reminded Iraqis that they “are the decision-makers,” encouraging them to approach the polls with responsibility.
The country enters the contest amid political splintering, voter fatigue, and realignments among key factions. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, who enjoys broad public support and is seeking another term, faces resistance from competing Shia power brokers and a governance system built to limit any single leader’s authority.
In the north, the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan head into the election cycle still without a government nearly a year after their own regional vote, while Sunni leaders remain split among themselves.
The government has expanded security operations ahead of Tuesday’s polling. Military checkpoints dot Baghdad’s main arteries, and tens of thousands of security personnel have been deployed nationwide to protect voting centers. Many citizens say stability remains their foremost concern, along with economic revival and the assertion of national sovereignty.
Younger voters have taken an active role in registration drives and neighborhood outreach, hoping to lift participation after the low turnout recorded in 2021